Eco-Challenge X @ Casa Racardho Port Dickson

Eco-Challenge is best known as energy depletion activity with competent mindset. It’s a team event that requires fitness within the team and a high degree of understanding and commitment.

This year event is not easier but more interesting. It tested your endurance and ability to survive through the unexpected. Thanks to my previous experience of Eco-Challenge IX last year.

AmBank Challenge X

25 July 2009

A 12km endurance activity with non-stop challenges that you can never imagine. The race is covered different terrains such as road running, trail running, survival, mystery test and beach crawling. At least 10 obstacles involved which we have to overcome it before reaching our finishing point.

Total time taken is 5 hours!

It’s almost cramp my leg, but luckily it did not happened.

The challenges this year held at Casa Racardho, Port Dickson. All participants (total 38 teams) have to reach before 9am for registration and breakfast. I started my journey quite early at 5.45am from KL to fetch my team members.

First of all, we were taken into exercise mode before the briefing started. Again the same music roaring.

A dull exercise but effective. I sweat and my team were ready.

We were given a course map as below. Eleven obstacles with five check points.

We were given a passport control (PC) and check point (CP) card.

It’s to make sure our team cross all the challenges and not skip one. Skipping the check point might risk of losing marks.

What was going on for us to complete it in 5 hours? Then follow our challenges as per below…

CP1 (Anyaman) is quite easy with competent mind. But we were confused on the sampling given…and we wasted some time there…haha.

We marched to the starting point of REAL CHALLENGES! Again, getting wet was always organizer’s intention in the first place. It’s to make sure you’re not able to differentiate whether you’re sweating or not. I prefer this way!!

CP2 (Beach Crawling) challenge is all about beach activities.

Beach run…is like no ending.

Beach crawling is the next, continue with crossing the side beach at my waist level.

But for others, it’s at chest level…muahahaha!

In a condition of water dripping from our clothes, we immediately get our passport ‘chop‘ by organizers and continue to move into jungle.

I believed our road running is about 3 km long. Red shirt teams are marching on the road peacefully.

CP3 (Score Orienteering) is a hunting game. Only if you know and familiar with place around are able to score easily. What we need to do is get the ‘marker‘ on the location name given and punch on the card. The patterns on the card are varies, so can’t cheat.

Even though we managed to complete it, we were already far behind from others team. Disappointed? No!

We entered the jungle @ Tanjung Tuan. From here, we crossed the trail up and down in madness.

CP4 (Food Test) is a first mystery test. We were not given any clues until we reached that point.

Umm…raw egg. Our team is given 4 eggs each. Crack the egg shell and swallow it or whatever you want, but make sure you eat it (included the yolk…ishhh).

Move up and down like this was quite exhausted!

Chee May was still able to pose in an innocent way. Fuiyo!

CP5 (Abseiling) is about a rope coiled around the body from a mountainside. Then we have to ascend our body down the dangerous slope. I found quite a new experience for me.

At this point, we were just wait for our turn. No rush.

Mr. Yap was showing to us an example and lead us down the hill.

I don’t think it’s called a slope anymore…it’s too much!

She managed to complete it in a full pretty action; acting like a pro some more.

CP6 (Sea Crossing) is a crossing over to the opposite island called Masjid Island. Don’t know how can it be called an island, when there is just a piece of land…lol.

The sea is lack of physical depth, about 1 metre all the way there. Get a passport ‘chop‘ and return back to beach for next challenge.

CP7 (Perigi Keramat) is a place of rubbish collection. Can I say that? Other than solving the mystery test…we were told to pack some rubbish back to our finishing point. WTH!

A second mystery test was saw-ing a piece of wood. It’s not that easy without proper energy.

CP8 (Pulau Intan) is just a place name for us to stop by. Nothing to see but another mystery test. The test was written on a paper and get submitted immediately.

CP9 (Light House) is the highest point where we hiked all the way to the top with our limited energy.

Weather was considerably good. Part of our challenges is photo shooting on the light house. Then, we moved down.

CP10 (Big Puzzle) is pretty easy. Just re-arrange and make the pattern required with pieces of wood. Say “YES” once done for checking and marking.

CP11 (Wall Climbing and Kayak). I took Kayak because I failed in wall climbing before due to my weight and body imbalance. Hehe.

It’s pretty stupid to carry the kayak which is near 50kg to the sea. It doesn’t matter if the sea is just few meters from us but.

It’s DAMN far away, you know!…walao yeh! Energy level was at approximately ~0%. some more need to carry out and back to beach. Siow!

I rather make it rationally. Go straight to the last boat, ride it and took the flag back, without carried the boat back to beach. This is absolutely an energy wasting task.

After we submitted our answer (passport and check point card), we finally put a relief on our challenge.

It was a good experience and sweet memories when looking back to our finishing line. Yeah! Mission completed…on Ambank Challenge X.

At 3pm, the lunch was still available and not yet finished.

My team checked in immediately to wash and relax our body. Our apartment unit @ Blue Lagoon was average but satisfied.

We were checking the ground floor unit. I parked my car beautifully in front of my room windows.

At the balcony, the unit was facing the pool and it’s very convenient to get dipped into the pool at anytime. Nevertheless, it’s much more like a children pool. Haha.

After shower, I quickly took a nap and only wake up at 6pm for beach sunset watching (photo taking haha).

Blue Lagoon beach, located behind the apartment. Many locals are visiting this beach due to its beautiful sunset view.

However, I did not see any photographers in this place. Why?

We were served our dinner at Casa Rachado, together with prize presentation ceremony. Each team was presented with participation certificates which made everyone happy.

Yo! When my team hit the lucky draw that night; a Paintball voucher, I was jump up immediately. Cool man!

Some of the teams that I know went to my unit for chit-chatting until 11pm. I felt my entire body deteriorate at much faster than ever, therefore I went to sleep much earlier.

I vow to come back again for next challenge, but it’s highly unlikely as I won’t be in the organization soon. Hehe, instead, I’m looking forward to this external event; Genting Trailblazer in this coming months.